Agus added the statement of Dipo showed inconsistence of the government against press.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Press Council is to summon Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam over his recent remarks threatening media critical of the government, a spokesman said here Wednesday.
"We are going to summon the cabinet secretary and ask him for a clarification and explanation whether or not his remarks represented his own personal or the government`s view because they have certain political consequences ," Agus Sudibyo, a Press Council member said here Wednesday.
He said Dipo`s remark that he would order a commercial and information boycott against mass media that always criticized the government was inappropriate.
Agus said if the cabinet secretary or the government did not like the media`s reporting on the government , he could use his right of reply or correction against the media concerned as stipulated in Press Law no. 40/1999. And if the mass media refused, the problem could be referred to the Press Council, he said.
Agus added the statement of Dipo showed inconsistence of the government against press. Earlier, he said that President Yudhoyono, in the commemoration of Indonesian Press Day (feb 9), had said that Indonesian press was in the right way.
"So, there`s ambivalence between the president`s statement and the secretary?s," he said.
He added the press Council had done in the right way based on the regulation. He also said that what Dipo did was legalized by the government, he would write a letter to the president.
"We need explanation about this, if it`s from the government, we will send letter to President Yudhoyono," he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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